Saturday, 28 January 2012

new books, second-hand books, how did you get books into your house this week?

So, this is how you can tell when a hardcore bibliophile is on the way to health again: on my first day out after surgery (surgery was Mon 16, Friday the 20th my first day out), I ended up at a second-hand store looking for books. Specifically science fiction books for the Damon Knight Grandmasters Challenge. I didn't find any books for the challenge, but being completely in love with books, that didn't stop me from finding other books, including ones I can use to increase my reading totals in the Nebula and Hugo award catagories. Here is what I found:

Sunshine - Robin McKinley (I owned a copy of this, gave it to a friend to read, and have decided it's found a home there and picked this one up. One of my favourite vampire novels of all, I will be rereading this sooner or later!)The Murder Stone - Charles Todd (My friend Lee in Dallas just read this and really liked it. I have many in the other series by this author-duo)The Time Machine - HG Wells (I've never read this! Seen different movie versions, and thought, hey! classic science fiction!)The Dragon in the Sea - Frank Herbert (one of the disabilities of being a hardcore bibliophile is that everything looks interesting. I love Dune, so why not try a book by him I've never heard of???)Dhalgran - Samuel R. Delaney (for the Nebula nomination reading. Another classic to catch up with.)Chasm City - Alistair Reynolds (a sequel to Revelation Space, which still eludes me. It was $1.50, so couldn't really go wrong here!)December - Phil Rickman (not part of the Merrily Watkins series, a stand-alone horror novel by him. I have to try it!)Tales from the White Hart - Arthur C. Clarke (I have nothing by Clarke, who is on my Grandmaster reading list. A collection of short stories sounds fun while I try to find some of his novels)The Golden Key - Melanie Rawn, Jennifer Roberson, Kate Elliott (this book caused a big stir in the fantasy world when it came out. It made the nomination list for the Nebula award, too.)

Except for Alistair Reynolds, all the books were 3/$1!!!! So you wouldn't blame me, right?

Then, because it was January and a new month and I had a gift card to use, I bought these:The Alien Shore - C.S. Friedman (classic sci-fi, not on any nomination list though)Timescape - Gregory Benford (Nebula Award winner! yaaay! and it's a time travel book back to the 1960's. Looks very fun)Psychic Tarot - Nancy Antenucci with Melanie Howard (I have been studying the tarot again, and this book came up on several lists as a good new book with some insights on how we use our intuition while reading the cards)

And then, just because I wanted something science fiction to read from my favourite bookstore Collected Works, I found a copy of- Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle (Nebula-nominated), which I then proceeded to read that weekend, and it is FABULOUS!!! I will be writing a post on it tomorrow. End of the world disaster novel that is so very good.

Wow, and there I was, convinced that my binge over the holidays was enough to stop me buying books for a month or so - or failing that, surgery would prevent me from buying them. Not so!!!!!

So far, Cath at Read-Warbler, Geraniumcat at Geraniumcat's Bookblog, and Chris at Stuff as Dreams are Made Of have confessed to bringing books into their house this past couple of weeks. I've linked you to their book posts. Of course, as is our way here in book-blogging land, I've now added 5 book to my to-buy list because of their posts. We do egg each other on spread the joy about books so very well here! How did you do, dear Gentle Reader?

Somewhere it is spring in the world:
By the way, Chris also has a fabulous post with pictures from his garden. I am desperately craving some green - we've had freezing rain for a month now, which means everything is dangerously slippery, and grey, and the signs of spring are still months away for us. Chris's post and pictures cheered me up tremendously. He's even got broccoli growing now!!!

Surgery update
Speaking of which, I've fallen already in the past week, slipping on some ice last Friday as I came home on my first outing. I landed right on my knees, and for a moment couldn't believe the irony of falling right after surgery. Luckily (though I didn't think so at the time) I landed right on my knee cap, rather than twisting my knee or leg at all, so I didn't do any damage to my tiny incisions. For those who don't know, I had arthoscopic surgery on my knee, as I had torn cartilage in it last March in our last big snow storm. Except when outside right now, I am able to move around very well, the pain deep in my knee is gone, and soon I won't be limping at all. It was successful, and I can look forward to getting into my garden more easily this summer. I am so relieved and thankful to have the surgery done. Now if only the freezing rain would stop and it would snow. Snow is much less dangerous to walk around in than ice. I know of two other people who fell in the last week also. We've had freezing rain every week for the month of January. Ice is everywhere. Personally, I am using this as my reason to stay indoors as much as possible and read!!

15 comments:

So glad you're recovering nicely from your knee surgery. What a nice lot of books you brought home! I haven't added a single book to my physical bookshelves this month, although I've indulged myself digitally a few times!

Ooooh, dangerous... a book list... I'm looking at it through squinty eyes in case I see something I like the sound of... ;-p

Sunshine is great, I loved it and wanted more but RMcK doesn't plan on writing more apparently. Not the last time I looked anyway. The Time Machine is very good, I also loved Wells' War of the Worlds. Two books that helped convert me to sci-fi when I was a teenager.

I too have read Dune, wasn't crazy about it to be honest but Dragon in the Sea sounds *good*. I downloaded a non-Merrily Phil Rickman book to my Kindle the other day (it was on offer at 99p so how could I *not*?) but I forget what it is now.... just checked... The Bones of Avalon, historical crime I think.

Can't wait to read about some of your new books, Susan!

I got new books into the house via the library this week, so strictly speaking they're not new. I got three non-fictions (more Mitford letters, the Churchill family, and cycling around Australia in the 1940s) and one fiction, Dracula's Guest, a collection of Victorian vampire stories edited by Michael Sims (I've already started that).

Over here our cold weather is just beginning - possibility of snow over the next couple of days. Like you I shall be staying *indoors*. You take care. I got your e.mail and will be answering soon.

Love "hardcore bibliophile" - an excellent term! And we need to stick together, so I'll be adding books from your list to mine, LOL. I like Robin McKinley, so I'll have to read Sunshine. Haven't read that Rickman, but I like his standalone stuff - and I've got Bones of Avalon on my Kindle, like Cath - started it, and liked it, but then went on to something else. Must start it again. Lovely to find so many very cheap books, Susan, I'm jealous!

Oh, fun! I also went on a bit of a haul at my second-hand bookstore... I included the list on my Sunday post, but it was also a lot of science-fiction. Even though I have e-copies I decided to keep my eyes open for the Lois McMaster Bujold books I am currently reading. I also finally found Kage Baker there after hearing many good things. And a few other things. It was one of my better hauls... Enjoy your books!

Cath and everyone: I'm sorry for this late comment, I couldn't get my new laptop to work all week.

Cath: I like the squinty eyes comment! I know, sometimes I want to cover my eyes too, there are so many precious books waiting to be read out there!

How is the vampire collection?

I just got 7 books out of the library! We never stop, do we? lol Which Churchill book did you get out?

see my comment to Geraniumcat about Rickman, how interesting you and her are reading the same book by him!

Sam: thanks so much!! I'm so happy my knee is better.....it also allows me to go further afield to look for new books! lol

bride: the first one you read? ooh, interesting. It sounds good.

GAvin: a book about tarot? I'm there! especially if it's by Ian MacDonald. Thanks so much! I'll try to find it.

Geraniumcat: You, me, and CAth, are so bad for each other, aren't we? lol!!! I love how we find books to read that the others find interesting too. If I like the standalone Rickman (and I don't see why I won't), I'll certainly look for his others.

I know, isn't it fun and so delicious to find books on sale so cheap, every once in a while?'

Kailana: I have to come see your post. I haven't been online much of this week, so I want to see what you found, too! Which Kage Baker did you find? you know I love her too.....

Kathleen: yes, buying books is always guaranteed to make me happy! My knee is feeling so much better now, too, two weeks after the operation (and fall). Almost no limp at all :-)

About Me

'book junkie', a writer and poet. Am often seen making lists of books to buy, or to get from the library; I have lists everywhere. My ultimate dream house has shelves everywhere for books. I have a dear family who puts up with my love of books, and 2 cats who lie on my books when I read them.

Chocolate quotes

How horrible it would be to live in a world without chocolate......Chocolate runs through my life like a comfort blanket; a teddy bear you can eat......I simply love chocolate. I adore it. I want it.- Nigel Slater in Nigel Slater's Real Food

Never underestimate the power of a word to change the world. - my own quote.

London - St Paul's Cathedral - photo by me

Favourite Book Quotes

"A book, too, can be a star, "explosive material, capable of stirring up fresh life endlessly, a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe.' " from Madeleine L'Engle's Newbery acceptance speech for A Wrinkle in Time.

She had no resources for solitude. (describing Mary in Persuasion)

In the next books I kept pushing at my own limitations and at the limits of science fiction. That is what the practice of an art is, you keep looking for the outside edge. When you find it, you make a whole, solid, real, and beautiful thing; anything less is incomplete. 'A Citizen of Mondath' essay, The Language of The Night, Ursula K. Le Guin

Olivia was a cartographer of imaginary places.- Haunting Olivia, short story, by Karen Russell.

"You've managed to make an enemy of Bufkin the monkey. Once he decided he needed to destroy you, you were basically doomed". - Mirror on the Wall"I've never heard of such a creature. What are his powers?" - Baba Yaga"He reads. He reads everything." - Mirror on the Wall- from Fables: Witches, by Bill Willingham